1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates particularly to an image processing apparatus including a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector to which a USB device is attachable.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a memory card or the like representing a removable external storage device for storing image data or the like has widely been used in a widely used portable information terminal (PDA) (Personal Data Assistance), a digital camera or the like.
In addition, an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral) representing one of image processing apparatuses capable, for example, of forming an image based on image data stored in the external storage device has widely been used.
Usually, a function to manage a job execution history is provided as a common function of the MFP, as described, for example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-339705.
Meanwhile, in recent years, a USB memory has widely been used as a removable external storage device, and data security measures have recently become important. Representing one exemplary measure, a USB memory including not only a data area but also an application area, capable of storing data in the data area using an encryption application or the like stored in the application area, has been introduced.
For example, a USB memory complying with U3 specifications set forth by SanDisk® Corporation (hereinafter also referred to as a U3 memory) is available.
As described above, in an example where a U3 memory is divided into a data area and an application area where an encryption application is stored, the application should be started up. In many cases, however, the application is adapted to a general-purpose OS (Operating System) generally used in a PC (Personal Computer) (such as Windows®) but not adapted to an embedded OS mounted on the MFP (such as VxWorks®).
Accordingly, the encryption application should be started up or the like in coordination with an external server or the like.
Specifically, in storing data of scanned image in a U3 memory attached to the MFP, that is, in executing a “Scan to USB memory job,” the data of scanned image is once transferred to the external server, in which data processing such as encryption processing is performed. After the processing is performed, the external server transmits the encrypted data to the MFP and the data is stored in the U3 memory attached to the MFP.
In executing the Scan to USB memory job with the use of the external server as above, however, processing in coordination with the external server was not determined as the job of the MFP and hence detailed progress of a process could not be managed. In addition, even though a user intends execution of a single job as a command, the processing is performed as history of execution of a plurality of jobs. Namely, history of a series of executed jobs could not be grasped at a glance.